'Seance' was excellent. He had a group of 'intelligent' uni students believing in the spirit of a girl who had never existed, who had supposedly 'died' on campus. One student even became 'possessed.'. Afterwards, he brought in the actress who had 'played' the dead girl (he'd been showing them 'retro' home video footage). He told the students not to feel bad about themselves because many ordinary people are susceptible to this kind of manipulation and charlatans know how to 'play' them. He did a similar thing with 'healers' in the US who are actively skanking people for money.
Very clever man.
FWIW, I believe mediums fall into two broad camps:
1) Intuitive, sensitive people who genuinely believe in what they do. They're not in it for the money (except, perhaps, for making a living).
2) Charlatans. They're the sort that go on TV (love the showbizzy aspect) and actively promote themselves. Their main motivation is money, seconded by a need to feel powerful.
I'd never go see a medium, on stage or otherwise. I watched MH for the laughs.
I just don't think that they're all deliberate charlatans. Again, I think that some people, because they might be well able to tune into the psychological states of others, believe they have the ability.
Derren Brown has demonstrated, very well, how it all works.
My late dad, who was a Catholic, told me never to bother trying to contact him when he was gone because he wouldn't 'answer'. When he was gone he was gone, whether it was oblivion or some afterlife. If there was, he'd most likely be in the celestial pub, anyway!
